Charlton Finance Committee Hears Warning of Up to 20 Percent Health Insurance Increase

CHARLTON -- January 21, 2026, Charlton Finance Committee hears warning of up to 20 percent health insurance rate increase as FY27 budget hearings begin. Finance Director Ashley Obrzut told the committee January 21 that the Hampshire Group trust is projecting premium increases of 16 to 20 percent for the coming plan year, compounding last year's 40 percent increase, after six groups with favorable claims data announced they are leaving the pool. The town's insurance advisory firm, NFP, has issued an RFP for outside quotes expected back within the first week of February; a final rate from Hampshire Group is expected by the end of February, with open enrollment set to begin in late March. Obrzut cautioned that leaving the trust would require the town to continue paying its own claims run-out for up to 18 months, potentially tens of thousands of dollars per month. The committee also received flat budget presentations from IT Director Jeff Sorel, who flagged a townwide phone system replacement expected to reduce costs by at least 30 percent, and Police Chief Dan Dowd, who disclosed a nearly $26,000 annual cloud storage cost for body-worn cameras and a contingent proposal to add a School Resource Officer to Dudley-Charlton schools if the district agrees to fund half the position.